An Illinois-based corporation plans to set-up a home manufacturing facility in northwest, Florida.

ECO Lifestyle Homes Incorporated plans to build a plant at Chipley’s Tommy McDonald Industrial Park by year's end.

The company plans to have some 400 employees on the payroll.

The so-called green homes will use solar, and the latest advances in technology, cutting energy costs in half.

In addition, wood and all paper products would be eliminated; recycled steel will principally be used in construction.

Cherry Hall, with ECO Lifestyle Homes, Inc. said, "Our definition of green is not only energy efficient, but also the use of recycled steel as the principal construction material, and no paper products that attract mold and termites."

ECO Lifestyle plans to have more than two-dozen plants nationwide within five years.

With the prospect of 800 new jobs in Chipley within four-years, area merchants are excited.

Paula Bush, with New Beginnings Health Foods said, "It stands to reason that bringing hundreds of new jobs to the area will mean more pedestrian traffic here in the downtown district; we love it here."

"The economic impact is not only for Chipley, and Washington, County, but really the entire region, which will supply labor for us," Ted Everett, the executive director of the Washington Co. Chamber said.

And, at this time, ECO Lifestyle is not ready to hire; that's expected to happen later this summer.

We are told that the company chose Chipley because of its proximity to rail service, Interstate 10, and Port Panama, just 45-miles away.